Former Lake Zurich athletes dispute claims of widespread hazing

Tracy Allen / Chicago Tribune

Brent Marks (11) was a key defensive player on Lake Zurich's state championship football team in 2007. He said "no one ever crossed the line" in reference to allegations of widespread hazing at his alma mater.

Brent Marks (11) was a key defensive player on Lake Zurich's state championship football team in 2007. He said "no one ever crossed the line" in reference to allegations of widespread hazing at his alma mater. (Tracy Allen / Chicago Tribune)

Jakub RudnikPioneer Press

A lawsuit filed in February by two members of the 2016 Lake Zurich football team alleged that there has been hazing within the program for at least 20 years, including acts of sexual assault and degradation. The lawsuit also alleged that other Lake Zurich athletic programs — namely the wrestling and boys cross country teams — had hazing traditions during this period.

Former Lake Zurich athletes have stated that those allegations do not align with their own experiences.

As news reports revealed the lawsuit's allegations, such as cross country runners being "duct-taped naked to a post," current and former runners and parents reached out to Pioneer Press to rebut the allegations.

Brian Glatz, a 2014 graduate, ran for the cross country team as a junior and senior. He said he joined the team because a friend was on the roster and the team was known for having a good culture. Hazing was never part of his experience.

Members of the Lake Zurich High School football team routinely used sexual assault and acts of degradation to haze teammates while coaches and administrators ignored the abuse, according to a federal lawsuit filed by two alleged victims.

Antonio Romanucci, a Chicago attorney representing two former...

"I've never even heard of anything like that," Glatz said. "I know I joined as a junior, so the argument could be made that I never went through the freshman stuff. But to imply that there was anything was disingenuous."

Glatz said that teammates would pull pranks on each other, and the best stories from years past were passed down and retold. Never was there mention of hazing, Glatz said, adding that coaches JB Hanson and Courtney May would not have allowed such practices.

"We do a lot of goofy stuff, but nothing malicious or hazingesque," he said. "There would have been zero tolerance for that."

Pioneer Press reached out to the Chicago-based law firm that filed the lawsuit, Romanucci & Blandin, LLC, about the allegations that the cross country and wrestling hazing traditions dated back 20 years. The law firm would not provide further details but stood by those claims.

"The allegations in the complaint were made upon solid information and belief," said Stefanie Stein, director of marketing and communications at Romanucci & Blandin. "We will not be disclosing any specific dates so as not to compromise the identities of those involved."

The Lake Zurich High School "hazing" incident so far has cost the resignations of two football coaches and the athletic director. It also may cost District 95 taxpayers big bucks if a federal lawsuit goes forward.

Not to mention the pain caused to the victims.

Two alleged victims of the "hazing"...

Pioneer Press also reached out to former football players from the past two decades. Of the players who responded, most did not want to speak on the record but repeatedly said that their experiences on the team were positive and that they never witnessed hazing.

Brent Marks, a starting linebacker of the 2007 football team that won the Class 7A state title, echoed those sentiments.

"I had a great experience," he said. "All the allegations that have happened (from the lawsuit) never happened during the four years that I attended Lake Zurich. And I played sports each year and was in that locker room."

To Marks, the allegations that hazing has been ongoing for two decades paints an unfair picture of the program and its former players.

"We were kids; immature, young kids. No one ever crossed the line," he said. "(There was) no harm or forcing anyone to do anything they didn't want to do. It's an insult that they say this was happening the past 20 years."

The perception of hazing and rites of passage has evolved in recent years. Since a hazing incident involving the 2016 football team came to light in late October, the Lake Zurich administration has enacted policy changes to prevent further acts of hazing. That includes frequent training and education for administrators, coaches and athletes.

"We believe the avenues for coaching certification, whether from a secondary education degree or specialized coursework, have adequately adjusted their curriculum to educate on this type of behavior in recent years," IHSA assistant executive director for communications Matt Troha said. "As a society we once viewed these actions as a rite of passage, but now understand their demeaning and potentially devastating impact."